Williamson Motors has appointed NEIL FERGUSON as dealer principal of its multi-franchise dealership in Hartlepool. With more than 17 years experience in the motor retail industry, including working in the Czech Republic, Mr Ferguson will open the Brenda
If you think you have your hands full with one baby, imagine having two or three at once. Women's Editor Lindsay Jennings meets a mum of twins whose new business is designed to help parents with double the trouble. THERE came a point when Delyth Raffel
Public relations consultancy Lynx PR has appointed MELANIE JOBLING from the North East Business and Innovation Centre. The 26-year-old joins as an account executive and will be working with consumer brands that include H-Box, National Grid, Halifax and
POLICE are appealing for witnesses after a spate of incidents involving youths stoning vehicles in a North-East city. Eleven incidents were reported, involving eight buses and three other vehicles, between November 4, and December 1, in the Benwell and
A DRUG addict was last night jailed for sixteen-and-a-half years for murdering a 16-year-old student. Paul Knappett cannot remember stabbing Kimberley Bage at least 22 times in a frenzied attack at her home. The 30-year-old sneaked into the terraced house
The Historical Association, Durham branch will hold a Christmas buffet following a talk by astronomer Professor Richard Stephenson, of Durham University's physics department, on The Star of Bethlehem, at St John's College, South Bailey, Durham, on Tuesday
A PRIMARY school was celebrating yesterday after Government inspectors hailed its work as outstanding. Staff and pupils at Red Hall Primary School, in Darlington, were delighted with the glowing Ofsted report. Inspectors said the school had many outstanding
THREE charities received a bumper windfall yesterday thanks to a shopping spree. Each year, the Durham Shopping Extravaganza is held at the Ramside Hall Hotel. Organised by a charity committee, the two-day sale - on November 19 and 20 - attracted record
A DYSLEXIC teenager who was thrown out of school has fought back against the odds to land a job and a secure future. Philip Profit, 18, has been employed by Derwentside District Council, which is giving 300 free computers to families in South Moor, Craghead
CENTURIES old fairy tales are breaking down language barriers in south Durham schools. Children as young as four are learning French through 200-year-old stories and music from storyteller Jean Paul Mortagne and flautist Anne Pannet, who started a short
A SERVICE to mark next year's Holocaust Memorial Day is to be staged in Darlington - and local people are being urged to play an important role. Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo have joined forces to commemorate the occasion, which will
RESIDENTS have emerged victorious after developers withdrew a planning application to build executive homes. Stockton Borough Council has been inundated with objections from councillors and residents, with 101 submitted against the development of Bettys
Former Darlington FC chairman George Reynolds, serving three years' jail for cheating the taxman out of more than half a million pounds, will mount an Appeal Court bid for freedom on Thursday. Reynolds, 69, of Monument Court, Nevilles Cross, Durham, and
THREE non-executive directors have been invited by the NHS Appointments Commission to serve a further term on the board of Easington Primary Care Trust (PCT). The appointments, which will run from this month, include Councillor Robin Todd, the deputy
MORE east Durham pensioners are better off thanks to a benefit boosting multi-agency approach. County Durham Partnership Against Poverty (CDPAP) was set up in 2003 to help raise awareness of available benefits including Pension Credit. To date, more than
ORGANISERS of a series of health events for people over 50 have hailed them a success. More than 700 people took part in the 50-plus Your Health Roadshows across Sedgefield borough during October and November. Feedback from professionals and residents
THREE racist thugs have been jailed after their victims turned the tables on them. Ryan Sweeney, Ross Smith and Christopher Ledger told two afro-Caribbean men they should "get back to their own country" before turning on a mixed-race passenger travelling
THREE villages are joining forces to keep crime out of their communities in the run up to Christmas. Previous united efforts by the same villages have resulted in festive crime levels dropping to zero - and organisers are determined to maintain that figure
Christmas box: Workers from a North-East council have filled 365 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Staff from Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council and the authority's strategic partners, Liberata and Jarvis, have collected toys, toiletries and
BUS passengers should benefit from the first of three stages of an improvement programme to start this week. Work is to be carried out to the bus lay-bys along the A64 in North Yorkshire over the next two months. This first phase, worth £46,000, involves
SCHEMES to help alleviate traffic congestion in the market town of Pickering have been backed by councillors. Stewart Hurst, North Yorkshire County Council's chief highways officer told the authority's Ryedale area committee meeting that the public response
AN ice sculptured snowman is keeping shoppers guessing during a competition. The 3ft statue, designed especially for the Hillstreet shopping centre, will be centre attraction as visitors try and predict the time of his demise. TFM radio's Antony and Emma
PASSENGERS want simpler and cheaper fares and a refund if they are forced to stand during train journeys, according to a survey conducted on behalf of rail firm Grand Central. The York-based company wants to run daily services from Sunderland and Hartlepool
David Cameron is the new leader of the Conservative party. He beat David Davis and is set to lead the party into the next election. Full coverage in The Northern Echo on Wednesday.
AGE Concern County Durham's Information and Advice Bus takes to the road this week. The bus visits St John's Chapel Barrington Hall from 10am to noon, and Rookhope Village Hall from 1.30 to 3.30pm today. It stops at Bowes Lyon House, Barnard Castle, from
INTERNATIONALLY acclaimed crafter Joanna Sheen will give a presentation at a Newton Aycliffe venue next month. Organisers of the event, a monthly craft group based at the Oakleaf Sports Complex, are already selling tickets for the event, which will be
A SHOPLIFTING gang is using family members as young as two to help them steal. Thieves roaming businesses in Redcar, east Cleveland, have sickened police by using a two-year-old to help smuggle goods out of stores in the town. In the latest incident,
THE dedication of more than 50 volunteers has been recognised at an awards ceremony last week. The event, hosted by Durham County Council, saw 59 volunteers receive medals from Sir Paul Nicholson and TV agony aunt Denise Robertson, for their involvement
The relatives and friends of British victims of the Asian tsunami paid emotional tributes to their loved ones, as the mass inquest into the loss of 91 UK citizens heard further accounts of individual tragedy. The second day of the inquest, at the Olympia
POLICE issued a new appeal yesterday after failing to trace the owners of property believed to be stolen, which was seized in a village. They asked anyone who has lost any of the items to contact the police at Barnard Castle, County Durham, and claim
Newcastle Falcons has promoted ANNA HUMPHREYS to business development manager, and Mark Foster to head of marketing. Both have been with the Falcons for four years. Ms Humphreys will be in charge of corporate sales, Premier Club, non match-day events
A POLICE officer who admitted flouting an order banning him from contacting his former partner appeared in court to be sentenced yesterday. David Boag, who was a constable in the North Yorkshire force for 27 years, pleaded guilty at Harrogate Magistrates
FLYING THE FLAG: AS one of the 84 per cent of the UK's citizens living in England, I find it regrettable that an English newspaper should publish such an anti-English article (Echo, Dec 1). We do not know whether its author, Helen Cannam, is English or
THE falling number of practising Catholics in the North has resulted in one the biggest shake-ups it has seen. The proposals by the Catholic diocese of Middlesbrough, which stretches from the Tees to the Humber, could halve the number of fully functioning
TOOLING company FCM Technologies has moved to an industrial park after spending £150,000 on equipment. The company has tripled the size of its floorspace and is planning to recruit eight members of staff to join its workforce of 12. FCM has moved from
THE company building the world's largest biodiesel plant last night confirmed it had received a takeover approach. The troubled Biofuels Corporation, which agreed a life-saving financial package with its bankers on Friday, said it had received a tentative
THE head of Cleveland Police has been to Buckingham Palace to pick up his Queen's Police Medal. Turning around the financial fortunes of one of the country's most controversial police forces earned chief constable Sean Price his distinguished honour.
JULIE GRAY has joined Newcastle and Whitley Housing Trust as assistant director of development and regeneration. She was development manager with Cheviot for two-and-a-half years, and before that was stock investment manager with The Riverside Group.
THE falling number of practising Catholics in the North has resulted in one the biggest shake-ups it has seen. The proposals by the Catholic diocese of Middlesbrough, which stretches from the Tees to the Humber, could halve the number of fully functioning
A GROUP working to improve the performance of the region's manufacturing industry has been given £9.4m. Regional development agency One NorthEast has invested the money in the North East Productivity Alliance (Nepa) to ensure its work with companies continues
PHIL STAMP and Clark Keltie will be playing for their Darlington futures when the midfield duo start at Shrewsbury Town tonight. Both are out of contract in January and manager David Hodgson believes that will provide the perfect motivation for his new-look
NORTH-EAST councils will receive the smallest increase in Government grants next year as experts fear a rise in council tax. Nationally, council tax rises should be below five per cent for each of the next two years after the announcement of additional
A COATINGS company that won a £5m contract to paint the Forth Rail Bridge is expecting to achieve a record turnover this year. Hugh Pelham, managing director of Pyeroy, in Gateshead, said company turnover was likely to reach £48m by the end of the year
COUNCILS in the North-East will receive the smallest increase in Government grant next year - prompting fears of council tax hikes and service cuts. The region is to receive an extra £42m from the Government, an increase of only 2.7 per cent for the year
Design engineer NIGEL WILKINSON has moved to the region to join electronics group Mitsumi UK, in Jarrow, North Tyneside. The 47-year-old joins the electronics specialist, which is part of the worldwide Mitsumi group, after spending 28 years with General
A RARE memento of the extraordinary life of a Victorian nanny who served the royal families of Europe will go under the hammer next week. The boxed set of silver cutlery was created by celebrated jeweller Carl Faberge for nurse Annie Bell, who left her
A NINE-YEAR-OLD with a passion for his menagerie of pets is celebrating after winning The Northern Echo's Pet Idol 2005 competition. Jamie Yorke's two-year-old lurcher, Jay, was voted the winner out of more than 250 pictures of the finest pets in the
STEWART Downing is refusing to give up on his World Cup dream after pencilling in FA Cup third round day for his eagerly-awaited return. Downing was being touted as the latest answer to England's perennial left-side problem when he made his international
Paul Gascoigne's 39-day reign as manager of Kettering has ended in acrimony with chairman Imraan Ladak claiming the former England midfielder was ''under the influence of alcohol before, during and after several first-team games and training sessions'
CAROL THATCHER was last night crowned Queen of the Jungle as I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! Came to an end. Carol Thatcher, ex-EastEnders actor Sid Owen and former Emmerdale star Sheree Murphy had been the final three in the ITV show, hosted by
A MAJOR car retail centre based on the out-of-town designer outlet-concept is to open in the region. The £10m Vroom centre will bring together eight car dealerships with the capacity for more than 700 vehicles at the Silverlink Business Park, in North
THE company building the world's largest biodiesel plant last night confirmed it had received a takeover approach. The troubled Biofuels Corporation, which agreed a life-saving financial package with its bankers on Friday, said it had received a tentative
TEENAGE twins boasted about killing their grandmother to their 14-year-old Internet girlfriends, a court heard yesterday. Robert and Jonathan Maskell are accused of murdering 74-year-old Anjelica Hallwood for her £2,000 savings on their 18th birthday.
TRANSPORT chiefs say they are pleased with the first full day of a North-East park-and-ride scheme. After a free trial at the weekend, Durham City's long-awaited park-and-ride scheme became fully operational yesterday as it welcomed its first paying customers
SUNDERLAND, desperate for the slightest little hint of good news, have been encouraged to learn that they are likely to be without winger Julio Arca for only one more game. The talented South American has been pencilled in to make his long-awaited return
A PEDESTRIAN was killed when he was hit by a delivery van that skidded on black ice on a North-East road yesterday morning. Kevin Owens died of serious head injuries when the Ford Transit left the road near Trimdon Station, in County Durham, and struck
THE latest weapon in Durham Police's crime-fighting armoury has been used for the first time. A Taser electric stun gun was fired to help arrest a man in Peterlee, east Durham, on Sunday. The dramatic series of events began shortly before 5pm, when police
COUNCILS in the North-East will receive the smallest increase in Government grant next year - prompting fears of council tax hikes and service cuts. The region is to receive an extra £42m from the Government, an increase of only 2.7 per cent for the year
THE subject of "gay weddings" is bound to inspire passionate, divided debate. We know that many will disagree with the idea of civil partnerships between same-sex couples, arguing that it undermines the institution of marriage. We understand those concerns
The Church of England is grappling with homosexuality, and one of the most thorny issues is what to do with gay clergy. As one vicar reveals his intention to 'marry' his partner, Mike Amos looks at how the issue is splitting the establishment. It was
AFTER finally earning the chance to prove himself on the Premiership stage, Sunderland striker Chris Brown has been told he could be out for up to six weeks, writes Paul Fraser The young forward damaged ankle ligaments after falling awkwardly in the first
A SWIFT shot at redemption is exactly what Hartlepool United need tonight, according to Ritchie Humphreys. Following Saturday's FA Cup humiliation at the hands of part-timers Tamworth at Victoria Park, Pool have another chance to lift their erratic home
A DRUG addict was last night jailed for sixteen-and-a-half years for murdering a 16-year-old student. Paul Knappett cannot remember stabbing Kimberley Bage at least 22 times in a frenzied attack at her home. The 30-year-old sneaked into the terraced house
Barry Robson was a self-styled "rookie bouncer" at Wetherell's night club in Sunderland. Everyone went there in the 60s, both to watch the top-line turns and to see Sunderland's footballers, some of whom seemed almost to be part of the fantastical fittings
A CEILIDH is to be held to raise money for charity. The dance takes place in the Dolphin Centre on Saturday, January 21, from 7pm. It is being held in aid of the Darlington branch of the Down's Syndrome Educational Trust. The event has been organised
ELDERLY people across Darlington have received a free bag to help them be seen in the dark. Darlington Borough Council was one of the first in the region to offer high-visibility bags to pensioners. The See Me shopping bags, which have reflective strips
A COUNCIL could soon be taking steps to name and shame dog owners who allow their pets to foul Darlington's footpaths, verges and roads. In January this year, a taskforce was set up by the borough council to examine the problem of dog fouling and noise
A COUNCIL is putting its staff behind the wheel as part of a hard-hitting campaign to stop drink driving. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is supporting Cleveland Police's None for the Road campaign by involving staff and workers in the offensive.
Vandalism to parishioners' cars has forced Roman Catholics at Ingleby Barwick to switch their usual Wednesday morning schoolroom Mass to St Mary and St Romuald's Church at Yarm.
COUNCIL bosses are to be given an update on efforts to boost recycling in the area. The Darlington Environmental Forum is meeting in the town hall on Monday. A report to the forum says 20 buses operating on the main routes in Darlington are bearing images
SCHOOL footballers are limbering up for their biggest sporting challenge yet. The Hurworth School Year 11 team will be competing for the first time in the County Cup Final on Saturday, at Sunderland Football Club's Academy of Light. This is only the third
THREE winter walks have been organised to help people improve their health and fitness over the festive period. Wear Valley District Council's Wear Walking for Health initiative has organised a guided walk in Frosterley on Sunday. Anyone who wants to
A COUNCILLOR has protested after being formally warned he could be excluded from a meeting today at which controversial plans for a wind farm will be discussed. Derwentside district councillor John Pickersgill, an Independent who represents the ward in
ONE of Newton Aycliffe's oldest companies has moved premises. Hewitts Solicitors yesterday opened its offices in Avenue House, Greenwell Road, a development next to Tesco supermarket. Hewitts first opened a branch in the town centre's Dalton Way 30 years
TWO dedicated support staff flew the flag for a small North-East primary school in the finals of a new national award scheme. St Joseph's RC Primary, in Gilesgate, Durham, with a mere 100 pupils on its roll, was the only school in the country to have
A TAKEOVER battle for Teesport owner PD Ports looked likely last night after it confirmed a second bid approach had been received. Only last week, the PD board were in favour of an offer from Endeavour Ports, which is a consortium of investors. But yesterday
A PARISH council hopes to continue the regeneration of its village by refurbishing a run-down cemetery. West Auckland Parish Council also plans to build a community centre for local youths, and recently work took place to install new benches in the village
A STREET drinking ban is to come into force in two villages blighted by drunken behaviour by groups of teenagers. Designated areas of Sherburn Village and nearby Ludworth, east of Durham, are to become alcohol free. The ban will take in 28 streets and
TORRINGTONS SITE: THE proposed £60m development of the former Torringtons site in east Darlington is very welcome, especially the jobs it will create after the shock news of a major factory in the west of the town closing down. However, it has to be tempered
EFFORTS to build a school on the edge of the North York Moors have been given a boost. The Friends of Sutton School raised £5,586 when they held a auction night at the Whitestonecliffe Inn. They are raising funds for a primary school to replace the existing
A PENSIONER who was knocked over in a busy town centre by a skateboarder is calling for action to make lives safer for pedestrians. Derek Rose, 79, was walking in Station Parade, Harrogate, with his wife Marie when he was involved in the accident. A 14
Members of the public are being urged to have their say on the future of the National Health Service across a large area of North Yorkshire. A 13-week consultation ends on Thursday, January 5 but already the public has identified major themes for the
A MAN who sought solace in drugs after losing his partner because of his drinking was given a chance to reform by a court yesterday. John Steven Bassett pleaded guilty to three theft offences, committed between July 24 and September 16, and admitted he
RESIDENTS who want to improve their neighbourhood are being given the chance to take part in a free development programme to help them. The Take the Lead programme is being offered by West Middlesbrough Neighbourhood Trust (WMNT) to help people have an
HEALTH worker Finulua Deehan has been honoured for her work with the Romany gypsy and travelling community. She was invited by the UK Association of Gypsy Women to take part in a volunteer awards event at the House of Lords in recognition of her work.
DISABLED teenagers on Teesside are to be offered the chance of job training. The Shaw Trust has launched a groundbreaking project offering employment opportunities to teenagers with disabilities from Middlesbrough, Stockton, east Cleveland and Stockton
DESPITE one of the coldest winters predicted, householders can save £250. Hartlepool Borough Council is working with the Billingham-based Energy Saving Trust Advice Centre to give energy-saving tips. They are: Turn the thermostat down by one per cent
HOUSEHOLD waste rules could land residents with a fine by introducing a legal responsibility for a clean neighbourhood. Council officials in Hartlepool are keen to highlight a "duty of care" that was introduced last month. Residents are now being warned
SANTA Clause was joined by Mrs Clause on a custom-built motorcycle for a Christmas Gala. The couple arrived in a parade of dancing youngsters on the three-wheeled motorcycle for the second Ingleby Barwick festive event. Father Christmas was greeted by
ELEVEN former North-East servicemen will be honoured by Russia tomorrow in a ceremony marking their efforts during the Second World War. The men served in what was known as the Arctic Convoys in bitterly cold conditions in the Soviet Union and played
Hundreds of villagers are expected to take part in a torch parade on Thursday. The procession by residents of Cockfield, near Barnard Castle, County Durham, will start from the village's primary school, at 6.30pm. Led by three pipers, the parade will
SEDGEFIELD specialist San Peire (2.20) bids to notch a fourth success at his favourite track this afternoon. Trainer Howard Johnson's team' have been a bit hit-and-miss of late, however San Peire's credentials are rock-solid so it would be churlish to
Explorer Group, which is based in Durham, has announced three appointments to its quality and technical departments. DAVID WHITEHEAD and HARRY HERBERT have been appointed to the quality and technical departments. TREVOR HUTCHINSON has been appointed quality
STEWART Downing is refusing to give up on his World Cup dream after pencilling in FA Cup third round day for his eagerly-awaited return. Downing was being touted as the latest answer to England's perennial left-side problem when he made his international
SHAREHOLDERS in music management company Sanctuary could see their stake wiped out if plans to bring new capital into the company go ahead. The latest blow comes after the company behind artists including Beyonce and Elton John, revealed it was considering
Paul Gascoigne was arrested for an alleged assault after photographers scrambled to take his picture, a witness said today. The alleged incident happened late last night outside Liverpool's Hope Street Hotel after Gascoigne, 38, had attended a charity
BARRING any late setbacks, Michael Owen will make a return to action for Newcastle United on Saturday and wants to see results improve as they did when he first completed a club record move. Since Owen tore his groin in training three weeks ago, the Magpies
Last week Dr John Sentamu was enthroned as Archbishop of York in the great Minster. I welcome Dr Sentamu heartily but sympathise with him because he will never escape the media tag "the first black archbishop". But some of his recent protests suggest
A North-East vicar who later this month will formalise a same-sex relationship with his partner insisted yesterday he had no worries about losing his job. "I am doing nothing illegal, I am doing nothing immoral," said the Reverend Chris Wardale, vicar
A SWIFT shot at redemption is exactly what Hartlepool United need tonight, according to Ritchie Humphreys. Following Saturday's FA Cup humiliation at the hands of part-timers Tamworth at Victoria Park, Pool have another chance to lift their erratic home
A North-East vicar who later this month will formalise a same-sex relationship with his partner insisted yesterday he had no worries about losing his job. "I am doing nothing illegal, I am doing nothing immoral," said the Reverend Chris Wardale, vicar
IT was only a gentle Sunday stroll followed by a pleasant little lunch, but the piece a fortnight ago on the excellent Station House Team Rooms at Thorpe Thewles continues to lead us down all sorts of improbable paths. There is royalty and rumpty-tumpty
TWO teenage friends arrested alongside a gunman were both jailed yesterday. Teesside Crown Court was told the teenagers were in a Jaguar car driven by Manchester criminal Domenyk Lattlay-Fottfoy, which was stopped by police on the A167 near Coatham Mundeville
PAUL CHAPMAN has been appointed policy and research manager for the food and drink sector skills council, Improve. Mr Chapman, from South Shields, South Tyneside, will develop policies to help the sector maintain the supply of skills. He will also be
STUDENTS at a college have been urged to open their eyes to the dangers of Aids. Darlington Primary Care Trust, the Gay Advice Darlington group and the police were at Darlington College of Arts and Technology to mark World Aids Day last week giving out
PHIL STAMP and Clark Keltie will be playing for their Darlington futures when the midfield duo start at Shrewsbury Town tonight. Both are out of contract in January and manager David Hodgson believes that will provide the perfect motivation for his new-look
Sunderland housebuilder Wilcomm Homes has appointed GEORGE JOBSON as construction manager. He began his career at 16 as an apprentice joiner and has been in the industry all his working life. Mr Jobson spent ten years as construction manager at Bellway
